Hyrule Origins
by Tenial
Summary: These are tales about main events and characters that populate the world in the Legend of Zelda, from the creation of the universe to the rise and fall of Hyrule's empire.
1. Introduction

In the beginning, the Creator spawned two life forms to bring forth the new world. They were the Kantuva, and they brought forth the Gods. Of them were four great Gods who began the creation:

Aene, of the earth.

Ilco, of the sea.

Duré, of the fire.

And Kaere, of the wind.

Together, they massed together the strengths and powers of their brothers and sisters to create the universe under the watchful eye of the Lord of Stars, Haidele Netting-star. Inspired by the power of the Fire Everburning, the Gods created the Sacred Realm.

There, they built great temples and lights in their honor to praise their creator. Beneath them were servants who carried out their wishes, and beneath them were the offspring of the creator's thought for whom all was made. In harmony, all life existed to praise the glory and majesty of the Gods and of the Creator. There was much rejoicing.

But amidst the noise and clamor, there stifled a thought of doubt. Amongst the lesser creatures, a rationale for glory and self-worth had come to disturb the peace. And lo! the god Akron himself bade them to ask the question: "What of me?"

Inspired by this desire to sing their own songs, create their own themes, a group known as the Interlopers sought to claim hidden treasures within the Sacred Realm. They began to war with their brothers and sisters, and soon brought rebellion to the Gods. These Interlopers found favor in the eyes of Akron, and their greater servants found power in the form of dark magic with which to dominate.

The Gods themselves found war in their numbers as Akron deceived them to believe one of them began this affair. Almost entirely, the Sacred Realm turned to darkness as the lamps of the world were brought down in battle, the temples desecrated, and the lands fraught with death. Soon, the world had broken and the universe was sucked into the Void.

Alas! Such was the fate of the world, and such was its beginning: death and chaos.

But not all was forsaken to entropy, for three clever goddesses saw opportunity in the din of evil. Out of the destruction, these three reformed the universe.

Din, who is the strongest and most passionate of gods, reshaped the mass and made a celestial body of it so that life and law may prevail upon it.

Nayru, who is wisest of all gods, constructed the physics and laws that govern the universe and all its creatures.

And Faroré, who is the most gracious and inspiring of gods, brought life to the universe that they may uphold the Law and sustain itself.

When the Triune had done all this, the Gods had seen the error of their ways and found peace. They set aside the Sacred Realm and had replaced it with a new one, which they called Gaia. In it they established their dominions on the bodies that dwelled within its vast and spacious depths. The most powerful of these gods, to include the previously named four along with the Triune, found their kingdom to rest upon the body known as Yleia. It was here they established the standard by which all Gods would govern their worlds.

Because of his treachery, Akron was cast into the Void to dwell for all eternity, until Creator returns to make a second paradise.

Of the lesser creatures who had also committed sin, the Gods had left the good-hearted to deal their punishments. In such fashion, the balance had been secured once more and the inhabitants of the universe could grow and develop.

However, there grew doubt amongst the Gods as to whether this new world would destroy itself as the previous one had before. In response, the Triune made a pact:

"The fate of mankind, the universe and all that rest within it shall be set forth by these Newdwellers. We will it that all life live and let live, for to live is to praise the Gods, and to love one another.

"Alas, evil dwells in the hearts of Man even as Akron waits in the deep Void. Even the Gods do not know what the future entails, save what Lady Ordona has sworn never to speak. Therefore, we leave the fate of the universe in the hands of man. And we shall give that man the power to do whatever is wished through our very power."

At that time, the three departed from the universe to dwell with the Kantuva and the Creator, leaving behind a relic of magnificent power that carried the sum of all their powers, to include the power of their greater sister Ordona. This relic, called the Triforce, seemed to bear resemblance to the majesty of the Fire Everburning, and was just as alien to all creatures and deities. The Triforce was laid to rest in the Sacred Realm under the watch of the Hero of Time, who in times past had overcome the doubt of the people and preserved the will of the Gods.

Such was the creation of the world, now but a legend to these new dwellers. Ages passed and wars ravaged Yleia as persons sought the power of the Triforce. Some had found doorways leading into other dimensions aside from Gaia, but none were able to harness the power of the Triforce. Servants of the Gods forever fought for the preservation of the new world and its peoples.

Then there came a beast of man who had seen the eye of Akron, and that beast's name was Ganon. With the thirst for power in his heart, the evil sorcerer wrought an empire of death and massacre which almost brought down the dynasties of all ancient civilizations. Powered by some heritage to the Interlopers, Ganon had spawned an era of darkness.

But then came the Hylia, a race of mortals descended from the very servants of the Gods. It was the Hylia who struck down Ganon, and they do so with the power of the Gods. At his destruction, the Hylia established Hyrule Kingdom with Triforce, which their sages locked away before vanishing from history. Any trace to their origins was wiped away to secure secrecy, to hide the door to the Sacred Realm.

All power corrupts absolutely, and so mortals continue to search for this Triforce.

This here is a collection of stories of several individuals of Hyrule at the dawn of its golden age, during a time of war and of economic prosperity. At its onset, war pitted neighbor against neighbor for the balance of power before peace could be established. However, behind everything, a master pins many strings to all puppets for absolute control of the scene.

Behold these tales which establish the Legend of Zelda.


	2. Balon and the Simpler Life

Balon wanted the simpler life for a reason.

"_What_ did you want?" the counter-lady asked again.

"Ummm, I was wantin' a pound of Ordon steak!" he spouted over the noise and clamor of the market.

"Sorry, sir, I'm fresh outta steak!"

"Seriously? This early in the morn?"

"Just gave my last strip to that gentleman over there!" she pointed to the man in the bowler hat over at the turnip counter.

Balon sadly grimaced. "Well, you got any catch?"

"Ask Oma over there, she'll setcha straight, sir!" she pointed to Oma's stall as she turned to address another customer, only to tell him that she had run out of steak.

Balon thanked the counter-lady, turned about to head to Oma's counter. He tucked the newspaper under his armpit as he bent down to pick up his bag and sling it over his shoulder. He walked on over to Oma's stall, a lady with whom he had previous encounters with due to same recurrence of a lack of sufficient meat.

"Well, if it don't beat all, Mrs. Oma Gaffy!" Balon spoke warmly to her as he always did.

"Why Mr. Longee, if it ain't your kind city-slicker self!" she laughed as she exchanged a bag of rupees for a load of kippers.

"Naw, I'm spittin' a new dialect now-a-days, cantcha tell?" he spoke, still trying out his midlander accent.

"You kidding me, sirrah? You could not fool me to thinking you were trying to be an actor!" Oma joked.

"Awww, that ain't fair, ma'am, I'm still trying out this farmer's life and all, I figured you'd take pity on my false accent."

"Be lucky I am, Mr. Longee, others would just as soon tell you to assume your old self."

"Well can I assume that my rupees here are still good for trade?"

"Of course! Watcha needin', hun?"

"I'm fixing dinner tonight for my family. I figure a set of kippers for two blues?"

"Well since you have such a fine reputation with me sirrah, a five of red and one blue will serve as a discount. Call it a reputation discount!"

"You so kind t'me, ma'am, how can I repay ya?"

"By shopping with me _first_ before goin' over to Dana Nayradori over there. She's just a youngin' with beef, and all the men love shopping with her."

"I must confess I was hopin' to get some Ordonian from her."

"Don't you have your own livestock for that kinda appetite?"

"Well I _am_ married…"

"Nooooo," Oma laughed. "I'm talking foodwise."

Balon sighed. "…not yet."

Oma shrugged. "Well, I'm not one to say this, I'm just a merchant, but all my prospects got where they were—"

"I know, I know," Balon said. "I was just hopin' I could pull this one outta the hat on my own. I'm a learned man, I went to higher school, I daresay I can do what the layman can do to."

Oma made a chuckle, but it was short, and she looked down at the bag of kippers she was playing with all this while. "Well, uh, here're your kippers, sirrah. Your pay?"

"Oh, uh, here," and he handed over the price she determined for him. She gave a friendly nod, "Well, you have yourself a good day in the market."

"And t'ye, Mrs. Gaffy. I'll seeya next time."

"Aye."

* * *

><p>He moved on down the line of stalls looking for more deals to spend the remainder of his disposable change on. He had gotten the majority of what Terra asked for, but he figured he might as well delve deeper into his pockets to give his family something better. Being a Longee had its perks.<p>

Then he looked above the heads of the stalls and wagons to glance at Hyrule Gate. He figured he might as well go inside and go for something better.

Passing the gates, he acknowledged the guards respectfully even if they did not bat an eye at him, and he entered Hyrule Market. The din of the market overcame his senses as they used to in the past, and he welcomed it wonderfully.

He made his way down Harkanion Street to come across the plaza. He meandered to and fro amid the crowds, casting a loving eye on the Statue of Holiness that stood erectly from the fountain in the plaza's center. It was adorned with the Triforce and of ancient runes from past times. It reminded Balon of those histories he had to study in school, back when he was required to.

Then his mind drifted from finding presents for his family at the ranch to, well, his family here in the city. And thus he made his mind to visit them after all these months.

He followed Harkanion Street down all up to the intersection where it met with Aenevia Passing. Taking that was a shorter way as it took him to Grondil Street. His family lived in the northwestern part of town just as all other luxurious families did. It was called 'Rupee District,' even for a residential area, because a majority of the families there conducted monetary businesses in their own homes. Strange, yes, but that was how well-to-do Hylian families did. Anything to avoid the market.

Balon made it into Rupee District and then followed Grondil Street all the way to the end. It then touched Crosha Avenue and he took a right onto it. He followed it for a few blocks before stopping at a tall blue house, Number 39. His father's house.

He hesitated at first. He looked over his shoulder to glance at Hyrule Castle standing proudly in the far distance over the hills cascading the countryside between the market and the royal capitol. He had to wake up every morning and see that castle from his window. It made him upset.

Then he knocked on the door and waited. Moments passed, and the door opened to an older but refined lady, his mother Galena, in her kitchenware and cookie powder staining her lapels.

She gasped. "Oh! My— well, hello son!" and she wrapped him in her arms in a tight embrace getting powder all over his front.

"Gah— ooof, hello mum!" he choked under surprise.

She let go of him to look up into his blue eyes. "Oh, son! You have not written me for two months total, keeping me worried and hoping the wolves didn't get to you and Terra!"

"Mum, that's hardly comforting a hello."

"I know, but, that's what I've had on my plate this whole time, boy. But come! Come, your father was just about to come down for tea!" she said, dragging her son inside.

"Um," he started, closing the door behind him. "Cookies in the morn?"

"The what?" she asked as she dragged him through the family living room, still clean and adorn in the memorabilia of their family's history, and into the kitchen where the smell of sugary cookies lingered in the air. "OH! You mean morning?"

"Yes, mum, I meant morning."

"Well, today your father is going on over to Thomas Anjinu's to talk about organizing a party in Keaton Park to celebrate your uncle's promotion! Did you know your uncle got promoted? Here, have a seat! I've just made tea as well." She moved over to the counter to get a cup. The kettle sat on the archaic burner.

"Um, no, I hadn't," Balon muttered. "So that prompted cookies then?"

"Yes, I figure I'd start your father on a 'sweet' morning. Although it couldn't have started off sweeter if I say so myself—"

"Ahhh! No talk of that before your son, mum. My marriage didn't make your marriage less gross to think of."

"Well, anyway, I figure your dad could just use a big extra 'oomph' to get his day going on, since he also has to meet _his_ boss about the downsizing."

Balon's ears perked. "Say what?"

Galena sighed as she brought the two cups of tea to the table. "Things have been stiff here in town. Your father's already seen three of his friends lose their jobs. And you know what? _They weren't told why_. Businesses all over town are starting to show closing signs—final closings, mind you. Maria even told me her husband bought Sweet Sister Laura's estate when that business fell under. He's going to turn that lovely bakery into a dentistry. And he's not even a licensed practitioner!"

"That's… wow, that _is_ horrible."

"Mmm, I know I'd rather have Father Rauru look at my teeth than Coray Blennit."

"I mean the market itself. Sounds like the general economy's been bad."

"Mmmm, I daresay our King has been doing _splendidly_ with his new deals, now that we're allied with the Gorons."

"Ahhh. So you think he's wrong?"

"Well, what do you expect? You ally with a race that once wanted to bash your face in, your people's markets will bloody well lose faith. If he had allied with the _Zoras_, however, we'd see more business! Ugh, our King…"

"Zoras love Hylian clothes, don't they…" he took a sip of his tea.

"Mmm…" she said, taking a sip of her own tea. "…_selfish, self-loving glickers_."

Balon's eye twitched at that remark. "Sooo, uh, mum? How've you been?"

"Fine," she said, still put-off from talking about current events. "Although it _has _been lonely without my kids to see your father and I."

"Huh? Don't Welon live a few blocks from here?"

"He does, but he doesn't visit. He says he's too busy trying to work out his wife's problems. That poor girl, she'd be better suited in a sanity house."

"Mmm. And Garsy?"

"Well, _she_ has an excuse. She's been trying to attract the attention of a noble, you see, and, things are looking up!"

"…oh? What is this noble's name?"

"Marth of the House of Tuin. As much as she tells me, they've been dating for quite some time, now, and she's fixing him to propose to her."

"But mum, really, Garsy? She almost married that mask salesman."

"In her defense, that man _could_ have had money."

"That man had _something_, but it wadn't money."

"'Wadn't?'"

Balon laughed. "Yes, mum, I said 'wadn't' and I find it amusing."

Galena shrugged, "Sure. And how is Terra?"

"Great! She's doing real great… my kids are doin' well. And you know, Torin's been a real good help to me since he moved in..."

"He couldn't come to see me as well?"

"He's back in the market last I saw. We're returning home this afternoon once I see Torin's bought the feed he promised me."

"Do you even have any livestock at this point?"

"No, but I'm working on it."

"Mmm. Met any other ranchers?"

"I want to do this on my own."

"But seriously, boy, a _ranch_?"

Balon put down his cup of tea. "Not this again, mum."

"You couldn't open one closer to town or, or, something _other_ than a ranch? By Nayru, boy, you had better prospects here in the city."

"I just wanted a simpler life than the life of a city-slicker."

"But you're a Longee, and Longees live in the city. I'm not damning you for your choice, I just wish you had made a profitable one."

"I'm making profits off my horse tourneys."

"You have horses?"

"Yes'm, the best."

"…can't say I've heard any word of your ranch, really, aside from your letters. Everyone your father asks says they've never heard of it."

"I just need to make better advertising, is all."

"Sounds like you need to make advertising _period_." Then Galena raised her nose, smelled something, grinned, and then moved on over to the furnace. She put on her gloves and pulled out the pan, where upon it cooled off two dozen chocolate cookies made from wheat and sugar.

"They smell sweet, mother."

"As do all things in this town, my son!" boomed the voice of his father at the top of the stairs.

Galena smiled as he came into the kitchen. "Good morning to you, Mister Longee."

His father, a thin and curly-haired man of small stature waltzed into the kitchen, seeing first his wife and then kissed her. Then seeing his son next, he warmly smiled and walked to him, sweeping him into his thin arms and just barely able to wraps his arms around him.

"Woah! My boy, you are bigger than we last met!" his father Boron exclaimed, looking up into his eyes. "And taller, too!"

"Living on one's own pitchfork does that to a man, father."

"Yes, so it does! And admirable is such an effort," Boron mused. "You will have to invite me over to show me some time!"

"When you have the chance, yes I will, sir," Balon said.

Boron chuckled. Then he turned to his wife. "Cookies for the family?"

"If you wish it so, sirrah," she said as she laid the pan down on the counter, fanning the cookies with her mittens.

"As I do! Come, son, let us nibble a bit."

"Sir, I was hoping I could tag along with you on your walk to Mr. Anjinu's place."

Both parents were taken aback.

"OH, well, uh, sure!" Boron exclaimed. "Why not? Speaking of which, milady, I must be off with a handful of these."

"You should have cleaned up sooner then, I would have had you for myself a few moments at least," Galena said, mockingly sad.

Boron giggled, giving his wife a sweet kiss to the lips. "Next time, my love."

Galena grinned. "Then take 'em and go, sweetheart. And mind you, don't get your tunic messed!"

"Nay, ma'am!" he said, taking a handful of cookies with caution as they were still hot. He bade Balon to do the same as he walked to the door, who took a couple and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, mum."

"And I love you more, boy. Please keep me posted. I want the best for you. And you'll always have a place here if you need to come home."

"Yes'm. Should I need to," and then he followed his father out the door.

* * *

><p>On their way, they spoke together.<p>

"Mum said businesses have been closing everywhere lately. Is that true?"

Boron put on a grim face. "Just yesterday, old Barnaby let loose a few of my mates. Now, Rand has gone crazy for work, Matt gambles the rest of his money away, and Perrin's dealing in illegal fur coats."

"What kind of coats?"

Boron let an exasperated sigh. "Wolfos-skinned."

"Ooo, that is a bit dangerous."

"And illegal, too. Wolfos may be feral beasts but they're considered nearly extinct, and hunting season was over earlier this last month."

"I wonder how this affects the lower class."

"Didn't you see it on the way into the city? Now they're trying to sell their stock _outside_ the city. People are just more scared to deal with their own kind now that things look sour for the market within the gates. That, and there have been raids along the main road between here and Calamar, so now travelers are trying to get rid of their products as swiftly as they can and to whomever goes through the gate."

"How about those high-end businesses?"

"_Dangerously risky business_. And worse, the city treasury is looking really bad to the people of Hyrule Market. Well, you play with people's money and lose, the people get mad."

"No runs hopefully?"

"Not yet. But give it time, and the rupees will suddenly disappear and you'll have a riot. Just like it was back in the previous war."

"Has the current war affected things much?"

"It _has_ bolstered things a bit, but only because there are less people in the market to make demand. They're all out in the southlands fighting, or in Labrynna trying to bring in that country's market. Holodrum wants no business with us, the Gorons _barely_ sided with us against the Nortlanders, the Zoras have their fins up a 'Death Mountain,' Alisthule and Rimendor have been fighting for the Adderlands so they don't care about us, and Calamar supplies horses and soldiers."

"Horses, you say?"

"The best."

"…so how have you been?"

"Well, like I said, business has been rough, and I need to convince my boss that I'm worth—"

"No, father. I mean… how are _you_, you."

Boron looked grimly at his son a second, and then smiled. "All and all, I'm doing just fine. Your brother and sister worry me, but your hard-edged mother keeps me in check. She keeps me happy. And it does my heart good to see _you_, Balon. Tells me things are okay at the ranch, are they?"

"…they could be better."

"Do you need money?"

"No, that's not why I'm here. I, well, actually came from the spur of the moment. I was really here just to buy supplies."

"Well, stay in town for a bit and I'll write you a promise to owe."

"No, father, I don't need it."

"But there's nothing wrong with not needing it. Say a storm breaks your barn or your windmill crashes, you'll need all the support you can get. Consider it my investment into your business, too."

"Your well-wishes were enough, father."

Boron shrugged. "If you say so. I'll mail you one anyway, and you can pay me back whenever."

"…okay."

Boron stopped. "I love you boy. I'm proud of you."

Balon stopped shortly after. "I know you're just saying that."

"Not just to say it, however."

"…aye you are."

"No, I'm not. I mean it, boy. I'm happy you did what _you_ wanted, and not what was expected. Well, I do expect you to raise a family and keep it alive, but… it's good to follow your dreams, and to do it with such fervor. It keeps a manager happy knowing he's running his own show."

Balon smiled. "I am. I feel good for it."

"And I couldn't be prouder. Be thankful you're living the life _you_ make. Men like you live a just life. The rest of us… well… we depend on others too much."

"Well, it sounds like that might happen to me if I can't get any business going."

"Then, accept my promise to owe, and you can use it to strike a deal: buy a cow and bull, a coup of chickens, some deer to breed for game. By Aene, use it to make some advertising. Let them know you're my son and your reputation will precede you. People will know you mean good business."

"I just might do that, then."

"As long as I can help any of my children."

"Any of them, aye."

Boron nodded. "Well, did you really want to see Anjinu or…?"

"I actually just wanted to talk with you. I won't keep you."

"Alas, I must go." He wrapped his arms around his son, chuckling at his hands not able to meet on the other side. "Boy, you really have grown into a fine man. Oh!" he reared back to look into his son's face. "When will I see little Talon?"

"I'll bring him next time. He gets so busy when I'm around, I believe he might go lazy when I'm not."

"Keep up that accent. I think it suits you well. Well, with enough practice and all…"

Balon smiled again. "Thanks, father."

"I love you son."

"I love you, father."

Boron than clapped his son on the shoulder and then began to walk away. "Say hello to Torin!"

Balon blinked. "Um… will do!" and then watched as his father disappeared into the streets.

* * *

><p>He returned to the market and found Torin at the bazaar, trying to get a deal on a sword. Torin was thinner, more like their father, and less hair than any of the Langees. He bore a stubby nose, and his top lip pursed unnaturally as it had always been since birth. A defect, perhaps, it had rather endeared people to Torin along with his friendly nature.<p>

"What on Aia do you need a sword for, Torin?" Balon asked as they loaded up the cart outside the city.

"Why not? Someone needs to look after the security of our booty."

"Of our what?"

"Booty! It's slang." Torin started re-harnessing the reigns on the horse.

"For what?"

"It means 'goods.' It's Gerudo slang."

"Since when did such language drift to our populace, eh?"

"Well, the war's slowing down now that the Gerudo and the Hylia are talking peace. Some of their kind have been doing trade with us since the peace talks."

"So the Nortlanders have overtaken Aster Point?"

"So say the rumors. I got that slang from Gregor Mantle at the flower shop."

"Hmm," Balon took his seat on the cart. "So you're fixin' for peace, eh?"

"Ey, peace is better than war," Torin replied as he sat next to him, taking in the reigns.

"Sure. But what'll we do with peace?"

"Well, keep it, hopefully," Torin jerked the reigns and initiated movement. Eoh their horse started dragging the cart at a good pace.

"So you wanna keep it with a sword in hand?"

"Aye! I figure I might as well put my two reds into the equation for prosperity."

"I ain't saying that's bad 'r nothin', but, you're quite the variable in my equation of prosperity for the ranch, yanno."

"Well. Yeah. I figure I'd put in more foots into the gate, if ya know what I mean."

"Not with that bad a phrasin', but, you sure got a nerve to wanna expand your assistance to the world when my world's still floppin' on the seashore like a drowning gillie."

"It'll grow, brother-mine, you just need to give that baby time. That, and you actually need to get some contracts a-goin'. You ever thought of expanding into a village?"

"The thought did cross my mind, but, who would wanna live in the middle of the countryside, so far from civilization?"

"People like you and I!"

"You put such gold in words. I'm in."

"Ahhh, but first we need some bigger business."

"Flakaflak, man! But where're we gonna get such a thing…"

"Dinnut daddy say he was gonna loan us some money?"

"Aye, but I wanna matriculate a course o' action that don't' depend on our papa."

"Oooh, you're getting better at the accent thing!"

"You think?"

"Yeah. You should grow a mustache just like daddy does."

"I've been figurin' to. Maybe that'll add in to the advertisements."

"What advertisements?"

"The ones I'll set up when I go back to town."

"You didn't before?"

"No."

"Lazy logger."

"And you're one to call me one. I dinnut see you contribute to that problem."

"I'm just the handler, you're the brains!"

"Yeah, well, a head and shoulder don't work without a neck."

"That's Terra's job."

"But I still don't feel complete."

"You'll find summit."

They had now passed farther into the midlands where the hills were more varied and also more present than the northlands in Hyrule. Trees peppered the land every now and then, but otherwise had left the land a vast expansion of grassland.

"Yep, I'll find summit."

* * *

><p>Soon it drew to early evening and they had now come to their destination along the road. Lon Lon Ranch sat like a sore thumb in the middle of the fields, just a plain ranch with a huge fenced area, a barn, a windmill, and the ranch house. Nothing special, just a slice of heaven in the middle of paradise.<p>

"HOME!" exclaimed Balon.

"I swear ya that'll get irritatin' to the missus."

"Don't mind you, it gets my boy excited to workin'. HOME!"

And sure enough, the barn door opened and out came little Talon, a scrawny little boy with curly brown hair and a stumpy body in overalls. He rushed on over just as Balon jumped off for him to sweep him in his arms.

"Daddy! Didja get the Ordon steaks?"

"Nep, but I gotchee some Hylian kippers!"

"Awwwwww! Didja get me something else?"

"At ease, ya boy, did _you_ do anythin' while I was gone?"

"Sure did! I restocked the cabinets for momma, and, and, I fed the horses, and, and I let 'em run wild in the pasture—and I dinnut lose any of 'em!"

"Goood. Well, did ya keep momma happy overall?"

"Yep! You can see so yaself, sir!"

Balon paused a moment. "Awwwright. I did getcha summit." And he pulled out a bag and gave it to Talon, who revealed its contents to be the cookies he secured earlier.

"These are Gammy Galena's, aren't they?"

"Yep!"

"Aww, thankee pop!" and gave his father a big hug.

"No prob'em, boy. Now, about your studies."

"Awww, dad, what use are they when I'll be doin' this job the rest o' my life?"

"A wise man should come in the most humblest of places, the best of 'em bein' a ranch. My boy'll be the smartest rancher ever, smarter'n me, aye?"

"If you say so, pap…"

"I do. Now, you enjoy them cookies before dinner, and I won't make momma the wiser on it, ya hear?"

"Alright,"

* * *

><p>After dinner, the family congregated in the family room of the farmhouse. While Talon mused over his studies in front of the fireplace, which were Balon's own books when he was a boy in school, Balon, Torin, Terra and the farmhand Ringo sat around the fireplace in their rockers.<p>

"So what're you saying?" Balon asked.

"Lookee," Ringo sat with a booklet in his lap and a pen in his hand. Ringo was a tall, lean man, hairy all over the face and rather ornery in character. "We've been havin' little revenue these past months, and we still hadn't gone far on the payment. We still owe 3,000 rupees to Bailey Wooster."

"So does every other of his ranchers," Torin muttered after billowing a puff of smoke from his pipe. "Big deal, we've been paying a sum of money per month."

"At this rate, tho', we'll be lucky to see through the winter," Ringo grumbled as he flipped a page. "See here? We been losin' 30 rupees per month since Anguest last month. It's Ikanayule, and we're already hittin' our savings. You been meanin' ta use them savin's to buy a new shed for the horses."

"How are we losing so much so quickly?" Terra gasped as she cradled Elon in her arms, the babe concealed underneath a cloth draped over her shoulder.

"Lesl people to take part in the tourneys. These raids have hurt business for _everyone_, ma'am," Ringo shrugged.

"Ehh, in any regard, we shouldn't worry much. Daddy's promised a sum of money comin' our way, that should take care of Ikanayule and a portion of Daphnes," Torin spoke. Ringo's eyes glistened hopefully.

"I don't know…" muttered Terra.

"Me neither," said Balon.

"Neither?" gasped Ringo. "If we have that much money we can at least tide over to buy the shed."

"Forget the shed," said Balon. "We need that money to build something here."

"Hmmm. What's percolatin' there, brother?"

Balon looked down at Talon who laid on his belly, scratching his face with his stencil and thinking hard on his book. Then the rancher looked at the fire and sighed.

"I figure we should expand."

"But we got nuttin' to expand _with_. Even with your pappy's money we're nobodies here in the country," Ringo warned.

"I damn-well-said we have the best horses in this county and I damn-well-mean it, ya'll," Balon said, giving his armrest a gentle bump to illustrate his demeanor. Talon looked up in shock at such language, and so did everyone else.

"Well, we may not be a Calamaran settlement, but, I'll agree to a point thar, Balon," Ringo chuckled. "With the horses we're mainly a tourist attraction."

"Babe, what do you plan to do with the ranch?" asked Terra.

Balon paused, and his gaze upon the fireplace intensified as his mind pressed to resolve the conflict within his heart. For long he sought independence and to make his way, but now knew only one resolution could amend his troubles.

"Who's the closest, best rancher nearby?" asked Balon.

"Uhhh, that'd be Rancher Dane," Ringo said, in-between thoughts. Then his eyes sparkled one more. "You, uh, figurin' we say howdy in a bit?"

"I reckon I do. Torin, I'd hate to ask since I wouldn't do it myself so soon, but, could ya go back to the Market tomorrow and start putting our name in the market?"

Torin thought a moment, and then nodded. "Well, perhaps I can get that money from daddy as well."

"It can't hurt. Ringo, you and I'll go see Rancher Dane and see if we can't strike a deal."

"How we gonna do that, Balon? Promise a tourney in exchange for a cow?"

"…we'll promise him a loan to buy livestock in exchange for a few of his own. My family's wealthy, I'm certain we can so to it."

"…ooookay…" Ringo sounded unsure as he wrote a note down.

Balon looked at his wife and brother, both of whom looked worrisome. Torin focused on the smoke rings he made while Terra looked under her cloth to coo at Elon.

Balon pursed his lips, unsure himself. He looked down at Talon who looked back at him. Balon sighed.

* * *

><p>Early the next morning, the men parted their ways. Torin returned to Hyrule Market while Ringo and Balon rode to Rancher Dane's estate. They took the main road even if it meant having to drive the long way around the county. By afternoon they had made it to Toller's Crossing, an intersection between the Royal Road and Rigyavek's Road. Taking a right, they rode it all the way to Dane's Ranch.<p>

When they arrived, they paused to take in the site in wonder.

"Big," muttered Ringo. "And lofty."

"Yep," said Balon.

Rancher Dane's farm looked like Balon's own farmer, but larger and, well, with more animals in the fenced area. Horses, cows populated the grassland with farmhands tending to them. A herd of sheep were sectioned off in a separate pen where a few of them were being sheered by several boys. Goats meandered in the distance chewing on the wild grass. A windmill reared behind the barn.

Before the two Lon Lon Ranchers spread an expanse of crop, a whole field of pumpkins. Ordonian! My, Rancher Dane had it made!

As they passed the first farmhand, they asked him where the master of the place resided. The boy wiped the sweat from his brow as he stood from his work in the field and also wiped the dirt from his hands. "Well, he's'm over thar workin' with the chickens. Watcha needin' him far?"

"We're of the belief we got a deal for your master there, boy," said Ringo.

"Ahh. So, uh, you believe that, eh?"

"We do," both men spoke.

"I warrant ya he may not like ya. Ya look too clean to be any good a pair o' ranchers. But, say, you wouldn't happen t' be them folks over in Lon Lon Ranch, are ya?"

"What makes you say that?" asked Balon.

"Your horses are mighty fine! Where'd you get 'em, sirrah?"

"I bought them. They're a mixed breed, if you can believe it."

"Of what'n?"

"That's why I want to talk to your master."

The boy shrugged. "Aiight! Well, I wish ya luck, misters."

They trotted past the field and the pasture and made it to the barn, a large, red structure that looked newly painted, of which the barn doors were wide open. They called forth some farmhands and requested they tend to their horses, who did so out of kindness when told of their business. The two ranchers then entered the barn, the smell of feces, sweat and hay filtering into their noses. Balon accepted it sweetly, savoring its atmosphere with heart.

On both sides, rows of animals set in pens: cows and horses alike. They were of decent breed, and both ranchers were jealous at the onset. They maneuvered down until they reached the chicken pens, at which an old man was pacing and tossing feed.

The man bore a straw hat upon his head and lapels. When Balon called to him, the old man turned to face them. His eyes were old and weary, and his face was bearded.

"What're you lot?" he asked. His voice concealed a tone of bitterness, but was reserved and polite altogether.

"We're ranchers Balon and Ringo from Lon Lon Ranch just north of here. You are Rancher Dane, aye?"

"Aye, he be I," spoke the rancher with some dignity. "So, Lon Lon Ranch, you say. How _is_ that circus doin'?"

"…circus?" Balon repeated contemptuously.

"Aye, _circus_, since that's the only real business ya got over thar."

"It's the best in the country, sirrah," Balon countered.

"Ooh, okay. But that clearly dun make ye a rancher, sirrah. You don't exactly stand out in that regard."

"But that's why we've com'ere," spoke Balon.

"We's wantin' to start bein' the real deal, here," said Ringo. Balon eyed him some, and Ringo bit his tongue.

"Hmm," scoffed Dane. "Soooo, the deal is you actually set up a farm by squanderin' off of me'n?"

Both men were absent worthy words.

"I'm flattered, dun gemme wrong, I just dun see this workin' when I'm bereft of business and end up firin' most o' me boys."

"Oh! Well, that would not happen if you did business with my ranch, Mr. Dane. You see, I, just like you, started off on my own."

"But I didn't have my head in fantasy. I built this ranch myself after my father died. You're just a city-boy wantin' adventure in the country."

"Aye, I'm… I'm a city-man. But that don't mean I don't appreciate the rancher."

"I'm positively touched, almost tearful, dear man. But I have a ranch that runs itself, and you depend on your fancy horses. Other than that I see no good trade."

"If you will, Dane," Balon continued. "I am wealthy and I haven't been through much. But I'm lookin' to it."

"Is you…" Dane seemed put off by that remark.

Balon chuckled. "Aye, I am. I'm tired o' workin' on someone else's money. I want to be as far as I can from the city. My advantage is my money which won't run dry. Think of it. With my investment, our farms will be the envy of the county. They'll think of the Hylian-Ordonian horses and of Dane's cows when they speak of the best farms in Hyrule. My finances will support our wealth while you're stock will improve those finances. We could be so great to attract the King."

Dane looked at Balon, his eyes narrowed on the young man. Then he looked at Ringo. He stroked the beard on his face.

"I'm sorry, but, I see nothing for me in this."

Balon's heart sank deeply. His hopes, his prayers for hope, all crushed in one instance.

Dane frowned. "I'm sorry, lad. You're on your own when I'm concerned."

Ring placed a hand on Balon's shoulder, urging him to just turn away. Balon sighed. "Well, I wish you a good day sirrah. May your crops grow well, my friend…" and then turned away.

Ringo whispered, "We'll look to someone else, Balon. Someone'll think your horses are worth it."

"Hold it, Balon," Dane spoke loudly. "Hold on a tick… I, I might be able to help you."

Balon turned about, hope rising in his heart again.

"If it'll help you, I'll let you buy a couple o' of my cattle, bull and cow. I'll even toss in a few chickens for no extra charge. 900 rupees, final offer."

Balon smiled, a weight off his shoulder. "I can do that."

Dane blinked. "Ummmmm, okay! Well, uh, I need money up front then."

Balon reached quickly into his pockets to pull out his rupee bags, three of which he untied and tossed right at Dane, who caught them belatedly and in total surprise.

"That's 750 in rupees, consider this a down payment. When I return, I'll bring the remainder and some more if you're willing to sell something."

Ringo shot a cautious glare at Balon, but he said nothing.

Dane opened the bags to examine their contents, his eyes shining at the prospect of money. He then looked at Balon. "You promise to pay the remainder?"

"Need a signature?"

"I could use another farmhand."

"Ringo would be obliged."

"Deal. I'll pay him wages until you pay the remainder."

"Deal." Balon then extended his hand in handshake. But just before Dane reached out to shake, Ringo grabbed Balon's hand.

"Woah, woah woah woah. What say do I have in this?" asked Ringo.

"It's only a few days!" said Balon. "Besides, you'll probably get better pay than _I _give you."

Ringo thought a moment. Then he released Balon's hand.

Dane smiled. "Your man'll have authority over my boys if it pleases him."

"It might," said Balon.

"It would," said Ringo, shooting a glare at Balon.

"Then it's agreed. How soon can I expect that deal?" asked Dane, he now spoke favorably to Balon.

"I'll have it in four days."

"Four days?" gasped Ringo.

"Isss that a problem?" asked Dane.

"No! Not at all. I just need to settle a few matters before I return. Financial. Nothing horrible."

"Ahh, good to hear!" spoke Dane.

Ringo whispered in Balon's ear: "How come I didn't get to hear of this?"

"Well, if matters are settled, then I'll be off!" Balon spoke, already starting to move away. "Who do I talk to for your stock?"

"Just talk to Dale, that's my boy workin' on the veranda of the farm! Just tell 'im I sentcha and he'll square ya away!" said Dane, waving.

"Thank you!" Balon said, waving back. "And Ringo! I'll be back!"

Ringo waved back, shaking his head meanwhilst.

* * *

><p>At last, he was getting somewhere!<p>

His heart pumped with joy as he drove home, leading some of Dane's stock: two cow and one bull dragging by rope to his cart while a few cages of chickens cooped in the bed. Once he hit the intersection at Royal Road and Benning Road, he figured Benning would be quicker. It wasn't the main road, but, who cared? Balon had just settled the future of his estate. He was a rich man for anyone who was concerned!

He looked at the beasts he dragged behind him. Such good animals, such good breed! He could just imagine the good they would do for him, knowing he could supply the Market with anything he could. Poultry, eggs, steak, milk—it wasn't much, but a start is better than an end!

"I'll let these animals do their business: make produce of them, and then set up a nice little stall in the market! Talon and I'll run the business ourselves while Ringo watches the ranch back home. I'll bring Terra along so that little Elon can get a taste of the city life. Who knows, maybe she'll like it!

Nayru's eye floated in the far night sky, somehow gazing down at the rancher in some form of judgment. Balon felt uncomfortable.

"... is this right? I'm not sure… I wanted to make it on my own… does this count?"

Is it right to depend on other farmers who have the same dreams?

"But that's business… meh, I shouldn't worry. I guess we all depend on—"

KRAKOW!

Balon lost all consciousness at once. His world went black.

He found himself slowly waking to a world of fire. Screams, roars, and the sound of metal clashing against itself reverberated in his mind as if from a distant dream. The heat of the fire burned him for he was right near it.

He heard the cries of his cattle and the panic in his poultry. His horse Eoh was on the ground in flames just feet away from him.

He tried moving his legs, but he could not feel them. His eyes fell upon his hand, which was charred and burnt to a crisp. He could feel nothing but pain in his head.

Then he managed to roll his head over, and lo! his eyes fell upon a sight of war. To his disbelief, whether it was real or not, he saw a woman in exotic hues of violet and red, her face garmented, squaring off in mortal combat with something out of a nightmare.

It was a man, or what used to be a man in a previous life. Its body was no more than the remains of its person, a stalking skeleton in armor and regalia, a broadsword in its thin hands, somehow supported by some strength in its structure. In its empty sockets glared a yellow hue of some demonic force.

Then there was more! As if his eyes deceived him further, there were other creatures than these exotic women warriors and the undead. He swore he saw the figure of a giant lizard in battle gear, its tail at which's end a silver axe swung about.

Whatever had happened to Balon was unknown to him. But he laid there, dying within the flames of his growing enterprise. Sleep soon took over, and he woke no more from his slumber.

"Talon…" he uttered as his breath escaped.


	3. The Ravaging Winds, Part One

_The Ravaging Winds, Part One_

* * *

><p>At once the shrieks stopped.<p>

Kailinidred paced no more. His eyes to the door, his heart raced even more in anticipation. A bead of sweat poured down aged face as worrisome visions exacerbated his fears. And it grew as the minutes passed by.

What had happened to his young wife?

At once, the door flung open and a manservant sped past the king, oblivious to the man's presence, as he headed to the doctor's bedroom. Again he came out a second later, now with a vial of some sort in his hand, and rushed his small body back into the King's bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Kailinidred pressed his ear to the wood to overhear any conversation, but all of it was muffled.

Then he heard footsteps from the other side of the door, coming closer. In contempt, the King grabbed the knob and thrust open the door to face whoever came closest. He demanded an answer, gods dammit.

"WHAT?" Kailinidred demanded to the incomer. To his surprise, it was the doctor, who cradled a child in her arms, asleep and bloodied from newbirth. The same manservant then sped out of the room again, vanishing down the corridor.

The doctor, an old woman with heavy wrinkles upon her face, stared blankly at her king from his exclamation. Taken aback, she reclaimed her composure: "U-uh, sire. Your child is born. It is a boy."

Kailinidred, himself taken aback by his own rudeness, and looked down at what was his son. His only son.

His _sleeping _son.

His heart continued racing, now driven by panic. "What ails him? Is he ill?"

"Nay, milord!" she replied quickly, trying to calm her lord. "Nay, not dead. Not dead but… tha, sleeping…" she looked down at the child, shamed and confused.

Kailinidred peered over the woman's shoulder. There he saw his wife on the bed, herself now asleep from her labor. She was a young soul, beautiful and mature even for a child. Her slender face shined of sweat and toil in the candlelight held by the maid, Ba'ene. Nevertheless, his queen survived the birthing.

But next to her, cradling her and soothing her with gentle words and strokes to her cheek, that foul, conniving witch of a mother, Gamela.

"Sir, your son," the doctor prodded. "He is fine. He made no cry as ere he came out. He did see his mother, and then passed into slumber by his own will. It marvels me, milord."

Since all was supposedly well, Kailinidred saw fit to then motion for the doctor to give the boy to him. "Sire, I would not have a newborn cradled in metal," she said, which motioned Kailinidred to take off his gauntlets. Then she gently transferred the boy to the will of Kailinidred, who suddenly felt discomforted, as if the child was heavier than he seemed. The doctor gave a short sigh as if relieved.

"Is he healthy at this weight?" the king asked.

"He seems to, but that halts no fear to my theories."

"Theories?"

"Fret not, milord, the boy is healthy," the doctor waved away.

"Healthy is this, you say?" the king said, questioning her judgment.

"Y-yes, sire," she spoke further. She twitched her neck impulsively, her eyes darting askance a moment. "Oh but, please, milord, will you not be content that an heir is born—a male heir at that!"

Kailinidred looked to his boy, who then uttered a cute murmur in his sleep. Such a gentle creature, whose soft features somehow swayed the king's growing suspicions of danger. His body naked and swathed in garments was, however, strong and his weight contributed to display such firm foundations. He bore his striking nose and his strong jaw, and from his mother the child inherited her pristine skin. But again, something was off.

"His skin, it does seem discolored particularly around the neckline…" inquired the King.

"Tha, he does a bit…" the doctor examined the very area, herself puzzled.

"Birthmark?"

"I would have to say so."

"Are you not pleased with such product, Kailinidred?" spat a voice in indignation. Gamela had suddenly appeared right beside the doctor, her strange face wrenched in disgust. Her skin was twisted like leather, darkened through the labor of her ancestors and the expense of the sun. Aside form her age, she moved with grace and elegance, as if she owned the air, her thin thobe wavering as she moved so. Embroidery garlanded her scarlet hair, allowed to hang loosely about her shoulders to her backside. Her nose was small and pointed, like a birds beak.

"Why must you puzzle over the intricacies which bear no fault?" spoke Gamela in retort.

Fury rose in the king's throat. "My son had better be healthy, woman. He is the _only_ male heir to me, and he must be fit to lead."

"Oh counfound it, Kailin!" she said, sneaking her fingers into Kailinidred's arms and stealing the boy away. "Let matters be and be proud. Now, be happy this child survived your past fruits and welcome him to this world." She then started swaying to nurture the child.

Kailinidred clenched his fist as hard as he could, his gloves scrunching at his grip.

At once, the manservant returned, now with the priestess.

Gamela smiled. "Ahh, Morsean, you come time-like," and she moved towards the priestess with the boy.

Kailinidred remained quiet. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and looked to see the doctor hanging about his side, trying to pull him to look towards his wife. At once, his anger lessened, and he let loose his grip.

Morsean was as old as the doctor, although in more refined garments in violet and linen. Her a linen cloth covered her face but her crimson eyes bore the mark of her character. Her crimson hair was tied back in a ponytail that hung behind her slender backside. Morsean was the oversere of priestesses in the castle, although she herself was considered a pupil of Gamela.

"_Alzoh,_ matriarch!" Morsean spoke in blessing to the queen's mother, with honor and respect as if to a superior. "It is a blessed evening that a boy is born in our lands again!"

"Praise Ordona!" Gamela exclaimed. "But someone fails his duties in naming his progeny…" she gave an expectant bat of the eye to the king, showing such form of humor to him intentionally.

Kailinidred scowled at her feigned use of friendliness. "I was close to that," he retorted antagonistically. "But my concern was for my son's health."

Morsean gasped, "Is the boy not well?"

"OH do not listen to my son-in-law, his worries are ill-founded," Gamela said. "Now, both of you, come to the basin with me, and we will get on with his birth!"

The king and priestess followed the mother to the water basin, which was set on the desk under the window to the right of the bed. The mother stood right before it, while the king stood to her right and the priestess to her left.

"Should you not stand to the left, mother-in-law?" Kailinidred asked confusedly.

"Ach, no, just do as the ceremony entails," spat Gamela.

"Mmm, sure…" mumbled the king.

The priestess then took a satchel that hung from her belt and poured a portion of it into the basin, and then took a vial of water from the same belt and poured it in.

"Here is given a basin, in which we make water and frankincense together to bless our noble heritage," the priestess spoke as if from scripture. "For a king is washed clean and baptized in such manner."

And thus Gamela carefully laid the child in the water, who remained dormant. She washed him from head to toe.

"O King, witness as thine son is made fresh against the world of sin," the priestess continued.

"May he be clean before the Gods," uttered Kailinidred.

"O King, see that he is refined to lead thine people."

"May he be worthy before his people."

"O King, see that he is strong and palpable before his enemies."

"May he drive away our errant foes."

Then the mother dried him in the same garments as he was swathed in, and then cradled him more.

"Know this, ye Man, that your son is a gift from the Gods. Your people know few of such kind, but we acknowledge that only a man may command us," the priestess carried on.

"I see that my responsibilities have been noble and ethical in Nayru's judgment, and that I carry forth Faroré's order with gratitude to the same."

"And swear that your son follow the same standards."

"Tha, he will."

Then the priestess took another vial and turned it over against her thumb. She reversed the motion and then imprinted her thumb against the boy's forehead to leave a red mark.

"This mark allows the God Aene, King of the Gods, to peer into this boy's soul and refine him for duty. I do this in hopes that Aene may bless your efforts to raise him. But tha also, we make this mark so that the boy himself may see back into this realm. And by this, he may know holiness and seek to abide by it. He shall be king, and must be the greatest."

"Tha, he will know fear. He will know beauty. He will know perfection. By these, he will know leadership, honesty, purity, and fairness."

"Tha, it will be so then." Then the priestess kissed the child. "_Alzo,_ what do you call this child?"

"I name him Mannidre—"

"No, no, Kailin," spat the old woman. "_I _will name this child."

"_Excuse me_?" fumed the king.

The mother drew a spiteful smile. "_I _will name this child. Learn to hear, my king!"

And Urodred, again, found himself helpless to counter.

"Ahh. Then, what name ye this child?" asked Morsean.

"Amaradred. He is the lord of tomorrow," Gamela declared.

"Then by the blessing of almighty Ordona, who sees all time and futures, I bless this child Amaradred mag'Kailinidred Meleg ih'Gerudo. May he be clean the toll of his days, be just in his choice of tomorrow's course, and be feared by his enemies."

"So say we all," spoke all present, save the queen who remained asleep.

Gamela kissed Amaradred on his head so tenderly, just above Aene's mark. "Such a treasure! Oohhh, how I remember the days when Musheena, _your_ mother, was just a babe... well, as innocent as you are, I pray this to be deception. I hope you are cruel and merciless."

"His inspiration is abound in this room, mother superior," spat Kailinidred. "Now, let me hold my son and present him to my troops."

Gamela paused. "Oohh, so impatient," she as she gave the boy to the king, shirking off his demanding tone. The king felt the baby's mysterious weight again, forcing him to hunch over to carry him. But oh well, such is the weight of life, the weight of parenthood he had long waited for. For so long, Kailinidred had lost so many to Tun's fate. Nayru had cursed him more than any other king before him, so much to have no heir at all. But _not now_. The Gods had rewarded his pain, his loss, and his endearment to those children before Amaradred. They had given him a _son! _Praise be to Farore!

"Koam," he beckoned the manservant. The man bowed his head as he jumped to his side. "Keep me company as I walk these halls," the king spoke as he moved forward.

"Tha, sire," spoke the man.

Kailinidred looked over to his wife who remained asleep, beautiful even in her composure. He looked at Ba'ene, who remained standing with a candle, fearfully averting her eyes to avoid looking at him. He looked at the priestess who seemed pleased by all.

He looked at Gamela, who seemed to know it all. They had always been sour with each other, but pity seemed to glower in her soul for the king.

Kailinidred scoffed and walked away, the manservant tailing behind him.

As they came about the corner of the hallway, the he spoke further: "Koam, you will watch this boy in my absence."

"Tha, sire."

"Train him. Teach him. Keep him safe. I will be gone."

"Tha, sire?"

"By the jackal's hour tomorrow morn, I lead these troops to war. I must contend against their empire, or my people will perish. You were not born in this realm, you know not, but come the time of your old years and you will feel my sorrow for living in this keep, this fortress in the sand... this _prison. I_ must meet these prison-keepers on the battlefield. When the battle is met, I will begin my journey to the Void to see my dear sister again."

"Must it be the Void? Surely she walks amongst the restful in the plains of Taivas."

"Nay, my family is spiteful to the Gods. Although Farore gave me life tonight, Nayru condemns the rest of my kin tomorrow. I pray I see my loved ones, even if in the twilight."

"I hope it not, sire. You are a good king."

"Yes. I am…" a note of sadness hung in his voice. "…for some..."

The manservant kept silent for a moment. "But oh! A son. At last, one that lives!"

"Tha…"

Another corner, and two soldiers waited for him next to an open causeway leading onto a wide balcony. One, arrayed in violet garments of the common soldier with a lance in her hand, stood quickly to attention and her head level to her shoulders. The other, in more complex garments and without a cloth across her face, was Kajad the commander of the guard. She stood to attention simultaneously.

"Sire!" they spoke.

"At ease," spoke the king, and the soldiers relaxed.

"Sire," spoke Kajad. "The host is formed to witness the good news."

"Bring the host to attention."

She clicked her heels in attention and stepped onto the balcony. As she called the assembly to attention, Kailinidred brought his son to his lips and kissed him on his forehead. He then whispered into the child's infant ears:

"O boy, I did call you Kuriya in the womb that you may embolden our people to forget the past as you emboldened your mother to carry thee. I ask ye to follow your own judgment. Be arrogant. Be ignorant if you must. Take your own counsel in all matters. Respect Koam…"

Kajad turned around on the balcony to face Kailinidred. The king nodded, prodding her to step off. As he stepped onto the balcony, the night air coarsely beat him in the face, a remnant of the dead, his ancestors scratching at him from the depths of the desert. Spite ruled supreme in the desert, and forever tormented Kailinidred all his life. If the sand had a soul, it too was cursed to be alive and bitter to the Gerudo so that it may deliver judgment for its own sadness.

"I ask this of you," he spoke to Kuriya. "Please, keep the wind off our back. Find peace in a land far away from our hellish existence out here. All glory fleets forever from the hand of thieves, for none may counter the worth of the previous glory we took..."

Before him, thousands of soldiers formed in the sand beneath him. Their numbers spanned from the very steps of the castle almost two miles out into the desert itself. These were the members of 4th host. He would lead them to Hyrule tomorrow.

"…and for all intents and purposes…beware your evil mother."

Then he hoisted his sun above his head, and lo! wind breezed into the valley. It was new, not driven by the winds of the desert, and instead it was fresh from the mountains behind the fortress. Such a wind had not been felt in near two hundred years, not since King Ordred delivered the head of Prince Hilrogax of Calamar, the first oppressor, whose death meant the advancement of the Gerudo. This wind! It brought the memories of history, of victory. All beheld the majesty of King Kailinidred, and they witnessed the blessing of the wind as if Farore herself blew it down to Gaia.

And Kailindred spoke in a triumphant voice: "BEHOLD! AMARADRED, MY SON, YOUR ONCE AND FUTURE KING!"

At once the The entirety of 4th host cried out in joy, raising their lancers and weaponry and shouting his son's name.

Kailinidred saw only death but days away. He prayed his son may never see death, or be controlled by anyone else, or ever be told to do against his will.

* * *

><p>"He is gone?" her daughter Queen Musheena asked, looking out the stone casing of her bedroom window.<p>

Gamela rocked back and forth in her chair, cradling Amaradred and playing with his nose which amused the child immensely. "Tha, your husband left this morning with the rest of his troops."

"And he will return?" Musheena mused, looking out her window and seeing nothing but desert. Her hair sparkled in the sunlight as it swathed her beauty. The regalia of the queen, a grand ruby encrested upon her forehead, and other jewelery attached to her earlobes and the length of her hair complemented her status, as did the fine red linen of her dress that draped loosely around her body as if to conceal her body.

"I daresay no," Gamela then began fanning her own face; it had become intensely hot this morning. "Your king is a horrible tactician, and is far worse a man for following with his plan. What sense is it to attack Hyrule? They have the advantage, even if they're at war with everyone else. Ha, ha, who would have thought: Hyrule, an empire!"

"I thought it was a good idea."

The mother stopped rocking. "What?"

"I inclined Kailin to make the choice. I told him it was best for our kingdom." Musheena seemed cool and unaffected by the heat. No beads of sweat or fatigue had brought down her character.

"To die needlessly? That was _your_ idea?" Gamela inquired.

"I told him he was not going to be a good father," Musheena continued. "Kailin was a wonderful husband, but… I could not suffice to have him around any longer. My boy has a special future."

"…well, even so, waging war with Hyrule was a dumb matter anyway."

"I put him up to it."

"…and to—?"

"Yes. He arranged the executions of those villagers. Yes, I told him to instigate this war."

"…is this the world your son will inherit?"

"My son will **create** a new world, _mother_!" she turned to face her mother, excitement in her eyes, and she rushed forward and knelt at Gamela's feet. "Oh mother, I have held so many secrets from you to this point, I feel so ecstatic to tell you everything!"

"What secrets, child… what secrets do _you_ have?" the mother held Amaradred closer to her breast, cautiously.

"Oh, mother, in time. In time!" then Musheena let a calming sigh. "Alas, little Amar has so much to learn in his time."

"Learn of _what_, child? You speak in great riddles!" the mother demanded shakily.

Queen Musheena smiled widely. "Do you remember Ost en'Ordona when you used to take me there? When you were training me to be a priestess to follow your footsteps?"

"…what about it?"

"I met someone there who told me everything. She told me the truth about our ancestors and how they really came to be outcast."

"They were outcast because they feared the wrath of the Gods in the time of Akron."

Musheena's eyes widened in horror. "_Blasphemy_, mother! How dare you speak such lies of... of our people!"

"But it's true, child! Your ancestor Bàn was a dishonorable thief who persuaded Gerudo to begin this strife with the world!"

"No, mother, that's not what _she_ said…"

"Pardon me, child? What? Haha! You say you spoke with mother Bàn? What, a spirit that actually dwells in that temple. Honestly, my dear, that is all myth-"

"No, no, not _Bàn_…" Musheena muttered, looking away and musing over her words. Her voice became raspy, entirely different to own voice.

Dread clouded the mother's mind. "…no… no, not _her_."

Then her daughter looked up, and she gasped. Musheena's eyes bore two alternate colors: red and blue.

Gamela gasped, her face filled with horror, and she kicked the doppelganger square in the chest to jump out of her seat and head straight for the door. But at once, it shut by some force of nature and locked itself. She turned, and the specter of her daughter stood right there just feet away.

"Give me this boy," Musheena spoke, and she stole Amaradred from Gamela's clutches. The old witch fought to claim him back, but her snatches were too slow to grab with.

"How! How could… you have not—"

"Nay," the person that was not her daughter spoke with the child in her arms, cradling him gingerly. Amaradred simply looked up at her in wonder. "Your daughter lives on as a prisoner in this body. I have overcome her will and claimed her mind. Oh, do not worry, Gamela, she _willfully_ turned over her body to me. She felt it was right that _I _have a place in her son's future. She just couldn't bear the thought that a young woman such as herself could raise a king!"

The mother remained speechless. Horror and awe combined, she spoke naught.

The stranger chuckled. "Oh do say something. Show some effort, woman, you shouldn't be shocked by seeing a spirit. Well, then again, it it's _me _we're talking about..."

"You are the witch of the temple, the ancient one of the deep. My grandmother told me of you, but I did not want to believe!"

"You are foolish to discourage the warnings of your elders, when they know much when you still know so little."

"I may be foolish. I was afraid to go into those depths. But how did my daughter go so far? I... I thought my own magic dispelled all the spirits from finding interest."

"Yes, _those_ spirits. Not _me_. In any case, you are a weak priestess, and _always have been_. I am surprised you could not sense that something was amiss with your only daughter! Oh well, it can't be helped. Her youth and spirit were profound enough anyway to sense anyway, no magic spell could hide that from my nose. She travelled down into the depths of the temple, heeding my call to her. She found counsel with me, and she would visit me when her husband was away or when you did not notice her gone. Oh, she gave herself to me after she laid with her husband, afraid and worrisome. I said, worry not. Of your son, I will manifest a _god_!"

"I can sense your evil, Tugrab. It hurts to be near thee."

"Evil?" the spirit in the daughter glared. A loud snap cracked the air and at once her face was pressed to Gamela's, forcing the old woman against the door. This Tugrab glowered so close that the mother was forced to look deep into her colored eyes, one which flourished in fiery flame as hot as the sun while the other was still and emanated a horrible chill.

"What _is_ evil but desperation to right a wrong?" Tugrab muttered. "I was a servant to the Gods, but I saw their errors and I exploited them. I proved that there was a flaw in their creation, and what did they do? _They cast me out of Taivas._ Of heaven! To be robbed of that glory, of that wonder... you know nothing of _evil_, or of _loss_, witch."

The mother's only thought was to Amaradred. Somehow he had vanished from Tugrab's possession. But those eyes made her quiet.

"Tell me, Gamela, have you lost everything, or cursed for centuries?"

"…I have lost much... but little to the weight of your sadness, O Tugrab."

Tugrab smiled. "Well, woman, rejoice." A snap cracked, and she appeared feet away with the boy Amaradred cradled in her arms. "Your daughter is possessed by a most powerful entity this world has seen for a _long_ time, and she has devised a plan for your boy. I will raise him to be powerful, strong… he will be cruel, yes, but he will be respected. And he _will_ rule Hyrule in his time. He must."

"You ancient beings are so bitter against the world… are sacrifices and praises not enough to appease you?"

"If it had worked, I would have asked you to sacrifice yourself right now. But, alas, the blood of innocents has lost its bite."

"…so what will be done with me?"

Tugrab looked up from the child to the witch, who at once felt the chills and horror of what may come to be.

"…meh," sputtered Tugrab. "I'll let you live. A child must have his grandmother. To preserve that family structure you mortals pride yourselves over… I guess you earn that much to stay alive for."

Gamel just stood there, back against the door, afraid to make another movement.

Tugrab waltzed over to the window with Amaradred. She started uttering loving words and cutesy sounds to him which made him laugh and giggle.

"Oh look, there goes a platoon, O Amar. You'll command those soon enough, won't you? Ahhhh…" she made a sigh, as if refreshed, feeling her face as if it were new to her. "You know, Gamela, as a woman, I oft wander what it would be like to be king of thieves… to be that phantom that creeps in the shadows… it is not enough just to feel my skin for the first time in centuries."

Gamela spoke nothing.

A warm breeze gushed into the bedroom. Gamela felt its spiteful slap in her old face, and shuddered. But Tugrab, she giggled and sighed at the feel of it. Relishing it, almost.

Tugrab shrugged. "So much work."


End file.
